Life of the Dance
by Autobot Guardian
Summary: A woman loses her family, and goes on to become a Bounty Hunter. A certain trio of friends meet her five years later, and she finds herself falling for one of them. Part of ATWOFT AU!
1. Where It Began

**_Ok, I know you guys might be wondering, thanks to me posting ATWOFT before any backstory, who a lot of my OC Bounty Hunters are, and possibly even how Cad Bane met Sihmi, his wife. Well, I'm going to write that today, starting with how I imagine the path to their eventual encounter started. Just so you all know, at this point, Cad is about 16 years old, and Sihmi is about 15. They're a year apart in age, and it's before the war really started. Also, because of that, it's about three years before Tanoka comes into the Republic, and about six years before the New Earth Bounty Hunter Colony is founded._**

 ** _Yes, I had to do math for that._**

 ** _I do not own Star Wars, only the plot and OCs._**

* * *

 _"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."_

 _~ Chuck Palahniuk_

 _  
"Anyone who has lost something they thought was theirs forever finally comes to realise that nothing really belongs to them."_

 _~ Paulo Coelho_

* * *

"Sihmi! Run, get out of here!"

The teenaged Duros girl was frozen in her fear, seeing her father grappling with the purple Nautolan man with blue-tipped lekku. Her mother and sister were badly injured, lying on the opposite side of the room.

"Run!" Her father's voice snapped her out of her fear-induced paralysis, and she stumbled backwards, out of the room! "Take the speeder, Si! Get as far away as you can!"

"Daddy, no!" She sobbed, not wanting to leave her family to die. But she had no choice.

Running to the garage where the family speeder was parked, she grabbed a blaster and a vibroblade off the wall, snatched up the keys… and drove away from the life that was lost to her… forever.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had driven, but by the time she stopped, it was daylight. She didn't know where she was, had only a few credits to her name, and was now the orphan of a dead family of Bounty Hunters.

 _Orphan_.

A single sob escaped her, as the reality of her situation hit her full-force. She was alone. Her family was gone, and she had nobody to turn to.

' _I have to get off-planet._ '

The thought surprised her. It had come out of nowhere, but it made sense. It would be harder to find her out there than if she stayed. It was something her father had taught her.

' _If there's someone who wants you dead, don't stay on the same planet. Go to another world, and keep moving until you get them off your trail._ '

And that was what she would do.

* * *

 _ **Five Years Later…**_

Sihmi sat in the cantina at Mos Eisley, a hand on the blaster at her hip as she sipped her drink. She wore a dark silver, form-fitting jumpsuit, along with tall, black boots that came up to her mid-thigh and had thick, 2-inch-high heels. Matching black gloves adorned her hands and arms, stopping halfway between her shoulders and elbows, and lightweight gauntlets were fastened around her forearms. Two black belts were fitted loosely around her waist, her blaster hanging from one and a vibroblade from the other. A black hat, one side of the brim bent upwards, adorned her head, and her skin was a lovely cobalt blue.

She had managed to make her way in the galaxy, following the tradition of her family and becoming a Bounty Hunter. It was easy to get a job in the war, people wanting information, prisoners, people removed from the equation… A mercenary's paradise.

Suddenly, she was brought out of her musings by a pair of other people coming over to her booth. Studying them closely, she noticed that they both seemed to be Bounty Hunters as well: a tall Kyuzo man and a purple-haired Zabrak woman.

"What do you want?" She asked, fully aware of the fact that she wouldn't be able to beat the two of them. The Zabrak, maybe, but never a Kyuzo. The pair exchanged a glance, and then the woman looked back at Sihmi.

"You are Sihmi Kei, correct?" She asked, and the Duros narrowed her crimson eyes.

"Who's asking?"

"I am Sugi, and my partner here is Embo," the Zabrak introduced, motioning to herself and her companion. Then, she continued, "We've got a job lined up, but our usual third teammate is off on a solo job right now, and we need a third person."

"Let me guess," Sihmi said, now interested, but no less wary, "you want me for the job."

"If you're available," Sugi agreed, and the Duros considered the offer.

"What's the job, and how much payout are we talking?"

"Our employer wants some vital information on a Separatist operation, and is willing to pay us ten thousand credits each. They've already given us a rough blueprint of the building we'll be infiltrating, but it's going to be a three-person job." Sugi then smiled, sitting down across from Sihmi. Embo walked over to the bar, probably to get some drinks for himself and his partner. "We saw your record. You specialize in covert operations: assassinations, sabotage, acquiring hard-to-get information, capturing difficult targets, the list just keeps going. You seem perfect for the job."

Sihmi silently contemplated the offer, staring down at her drink. Ten thousand credits was a lot, and she would be a fool to turn it down. However, she had never met these two before, and didn't know if she could trust them.

Embo came back then, sliding in next to Sugi, and passing his partner a glass of… something. Sihmi didn't come here often, so she didn't know what all the drinks looked like yet. The Duros took the opportunity to study her two potential teammates.

The Zabrak looked pretty confident in herself, her brown eyes warm and her body language relaxed. She also had a blaster at her hip, and it looked well-used and taken care of. She had two knives as well.

The Kyuzo was harder to read. His body language seemed to shift slightly between tenseness and relaxation, his eyes looking around the cantina as if expecting someone to attack him at any moment. His eyes… at first, because of their compounded structure , Sihmi couldn't see any expression in them, but then she started seeing hints of emotion. Caution. Protectiveness. Long-suffered pain. In those glowing golden depths, there seemed to be flickers of shadows. Almost as if ghosts dwelled within them. However, he seemed to be experienced; the bowcaster on his back in similar condition to Sugi's blaster, and he had two knives mostly-hidden in the bandolier he wore. And, she knew, despite his lean, lanky appearance, he was probably exceedingly strong and fast.

Neither of them were showing any hostility towards the Duros, so, after a slight hesitation, Sihmi gave them her answer.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

 _ **And that's chapter 1!! Hope you guys enjoyed, because I've been itching to write this for a while! Next chapter, we'll get to see Sihmi in action, and see if they get their bounty! Also, this time skip was to get to a point just a year before Tanoka vanished, and so I will someday be writing about what all my characters are up to during that time!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	2. The Job

_**And here we are with chapter two! Ok, a bit of a warning: there will be some violence in this chapter. Our brave Bounty Hunters are going to meet up with their employer, and there's going to be a slight overlap with Transformers Prime (my AU of it, anyway), because of how I originally got started with SWCW in the first place. If I ever get around to it, I'll finish and post the fic I just hinted at.**_

 _ **Anyway, let's get to it!**_

 _ **The author does not own Star Wars, only the plot and OCs.**_

* * *

" _The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."_

― _Ernest Hemingway_

" _You see, you closed your eyes. That was the difference._

 _Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel._

 _And if you are ever going to have other people trust you,_

 _you must feel that you can trust them, too-even when you're in the dark._

 _Even when you're falling."_

― _Mitch Albom_

* * *

Sihmi warily studied the woman seated at the table, as well as the clone trooper standing behind said woman. She was Togruta, orange skin, bright blue eyes, and royal blue lekku and montrals with white markings. White markings covered her arms as well; something rare but not unheard of in her species. Also, where her forehead met her montrals, she had a medium gray metal headdress that partially covered an orange patch of skin in the middle of the white that nearly completely covered her forehead, and nearly touching a device that rested just above her eyes and connected to a small comm mic on the left side of her face. Her clothes were comprised of a short, sleeveless shirt and vest, a knee-length skirt, leggings, and a Togruta sash; all colored in a dark green, a blue just a few shades away from her lekku and montrals, and a warm brown. Two bladeless daggers were clipped to her belt, and she looked like an experienced fighter.

"So," their employer began, looking at the three Bounty Hunters before her, "you three are ready for your briefing, correct?"

"Yes, Commander Anko," Sugi replied, while Embo nodded. Sihmi just shifted position slightly, showing she was listening.

The Togruta motioned to the clone behind her, and the soldier came forward, placing a holoprojector, three ear comm links, three devices on metal bands, and three triangular devices on the table.

"Your mission is to infiltrate this facility in the Abregado system. Our spies told us that they're planning something there, and there is a high possibility that the separatists are holding a few prisoners there as well," she said, pulling up an image on the holoprojector. The facility was large, and seemed to go partially underground. "The mission is fairly simple: retrieve all data in the facility, free any and all prisoners, and if possible, sabotage. These comm links," She motioned to the devices, "are on a frequency that connects them directly to each other, as well as the comm station on my ship. Untraceable, thanks to Cybertronian tech."

Then, she motioned to the devices attached to the metal bands. "These are wrist-mounted cloaking devices. While this is active, it will hide you from all means of detection, but you three will still be able to see each other while you have your own cloaks up." Then, she held up one of the triangular devices, "these are wireless data collectors. Just aim the blue tip towards any device, press the button, and the data will immediately transfer onto the collector. I _will_ be wanting these back."

Each of the Bounty Hunters grabbed one of each device, put the cloaking devices around their left wrists, put in the ear comm links, and put their data collectors into pouches on their belts.

"What about transportation?" Sihmi asked, and Commander Anko smiled, pulling up an image of a Separatist shuttle with the holoprojector.

"We've captured this shuttle, which was en route to the facility. We've temporarily deactivated the one droid that was piloting it, so as not to arouse suspicion when you arrive. Keep your cloaks on at all times, unless absolutely necessary, understood?"

"Understood," Sugi agreed, while the others nodded.

"Good. I'll be in the neighboring system for emergency extraction; if necessary, I'll send in a friend of mine to get you out." The Togruta then turned off the holoprojector, standing up. "Now, it's time to begin."

* * *

Sihmi has to admit, the Commander had access to some pretty cool toys. The cloaking device was so advanced, it even recharged itself through some unknown process, and none of the sensors in the facility could detect her.

Now, as she carefully climbed along the pipes in the ceiling, she had her objective in mind. Sugi had assigned her to the main database in the facility, while Embo went to check for prisoners in the subterranean levels. Sugi, herself, was sneaking around the ships in the hangar, snatching navigational data and anything else they contained.

Then, she arrived at the door leading to the main database, and swung down to land soundlessly on a small outcropping above the door. Turning on her comm, she whispered, "I'm just outside the door to the objective; waiting for a droid to go in now. How are you guys doing?"

 _:_ _ **I think I found the detention block,**_ _:_ Embo replied, the comm translating his words for the Duros. Then, Sugi chimes in.

 _:I just finished on my end, and rigged two of the ships to explode. I've set the control switch to your left gauntlet, Sihmi,:_ the Zabrak said, and Sihmi grinned.

"Just give the word."

* * *

Embo stealthily crept through the sub-levels, keeping himself on high alert.

Suddenly, he heard what sounded like someone in pain, and he cautiously went in that direction, only to find a pair of Super Battle Droids dragging a clone down a corridor. The poor man looked like he'd been attacked by a Kirado (a dragon like creature native to Phatrong), and only half-conscious.

Concerned, Embo followed them silently, hoping that they were headed to where the rest of the prisoners were located. He wasn't disappointed.

But he was sickened at what he found.

Two rows of cells lined the small detention block, half of the prisoners injured, and the other half looking like they had been drugged or experimented on with chemicals. A few cells even had skeletons in them.

The droids dumped their prisoner in a cell that contained another clone, as well as a human skeleton. Embo was enraged. How could _anyone_ be letting this happen?!

Then, a spark of genius hit him. Picking up a piece of metal that was lying on the floor, he tossed it across the entrance to the corridor, causing a series of metal clinking sounds.

"What was that?" One of the droids asked, going to investigate. When it rounded the corner, Embo swiftly used one of his knives to cut the main power cable, and caught the droid before it could hit the ground. The second droid then followed, and met the same fate.

At this point, many of the prisoners, clone or otherwise, were trying to figure out what was happening, getting as close to the ray shields as they dared.

Quickly, before he did anything else, Embo took out the cameras in that area, making sure he wouldn't be seen by the droids. Then, he put on a translator collar he always kept in a pocket of his tunic for emergencies, and turned off his cloaking device.

His employer said only to do it if absolutely necessary.

In his mind, this qualified.

He had shimmered into visible existence in front of one of the cells, and the clone who had come closer to try to see what was happening jerked backwards, startled, and let out a small cry of pain when his left leg threatened to give out under him. Quickly, the Kyuzo made short work of the controls for the ray shield, deactivating it, and went to support the man. His cell-mate, another clone, was now struggling to his feet, chemical burns visible on his face and hands.

"W-who…" the burned clone asked, his voice faint and cracking, hope in his eyes.

"Embo," the Kyuzo replied, the translator blinking a little as it did its job. "I'm here to get you all out of this place. Two others are here as well, working on other parts of the mission."

"Mission?" The man with the wounded leg queried, recovering enough to stand on his own.

"I'll explain later," Embo answered, and his gaze drifted to a skeleton in the corner. The bones were stark white in the dim light of the cell, and obviously from a human. The skull was severely cracked, obviously what had been the ultimate cause of the poor man's death. It was revolting to see such a disregard for life. "Such a disgrace…"

"He was our squad mate," the standing clone said, following the Kyuzo's gaze. "When he died, they didn't bother moving him out of the cell…"

"He deserves better," Embo whispered, his own morals screaming at him to make this right. While most viewed the clones as abominations, his upbringing and code of honor helped him see them as independent individuals, fighting honorably in a war against dishonorable people.

He couldn't leave anyone like that. The dead were highly regarded by his people, each of them given at least a cremation to honor them, and it was considered a grave wrongdoing to leave a body to rot above ground. Even if they had not killed them, it was the right and honorable thing to do.

Even the jobs that required him to kill people, he always demanded to know if the body would be disposed of in a proper fashion. If they said no, he would flat out refuse, no matter how much he was offered. No amount of credits was worth throwing away his honor like that.

"Sugi, we have a situation," he said into his ear comm link, his voice strained...

* * *

Sugi was hiding, invisible, amongst the cables and pipes in the ceiling of the hangar, when Embo had commed her. She easily recognized the strained tone of his voice; it usually came up whenever he was hurt, someone else was hurt, something was happening that was at odds with his sense of honor, or any combination of the three. There was also the familiar, nearly undetectable note of pleading in his voice he took on (whether he realized it or not) when he didn't know what he should do.

Something was very wrong.

"Embo, what's going on?"

 _:I found the detention block… Clones and civilians alike. Half, mostly the clones, look like they were violently interrogated… the others…:_ Embo's voice wavered, and it sounded like he wanted to throw up, _:they look like they were experimented on… there's also at least one deceased in almost every cell… many skeletonized…:_

Sugi felt like she was going to hurl. She knew their employer was listening in, but she didn't expect the feral growl that came from her end!

 _:Those sleemo will pay for this! Embo, I know that many would say to focus on the living, but do what you can to honor those poor souls. Take them with you if you have to. I'm sending a cloaking drone to you, it has a subspace pocket that you can put the bodies in. I'm including bags, so we can figure out who's who.:_ The Togruta's voice was venomous with rage, but Sugi could hear Embo's sigh of relief over the comm. She knew how much he hated when people were so disrespectful of the deceased, but for him to witness it like that…

* * *

Embo was not having a good time.

As he went around freeing the prisoners, he kept seeing dead bodies in close proximity to the living, most skeletonized, or nearly so, and others still decomposing. A few were freshly dead. However, the worst for him was seeing the skeletons that had grayed with age, those whom had died long, long before most of the prisoners, alive or not, had even arrived.

The ones who may never be identified.

He kept having to reflexively swallow, to keep what was in his stomach down. This was _sickening_! The stench was nearly enough to overpower him, even through his mask! There was blood and who-knew-what-else on almost every surface in each cell, many of them reeking not only of rot, but chemicals and infection as well. And the ominous smell of death was thickly mixed with the rest.

Some of the prisoners were so far gone that he was pretty sure they wouldn't make it… but he had to try. His conscience was screaming at him to not let anyone else die in that place. Then… he felt something.

A faint, vaguely familiar feeling was blooming inside of him, a warmth that he hadn't felt very often, ever since he had been a very young child. It drew him closer to one cell, and he froze.

A dead Zabrak woman lay in the cell, her body just starting to decompose, and her black hair unkempt and stringy. However, Embo's gaze drifted to what was next to her.

A little Zabrak child, a baby, actually, was on the floor, wrapped in a filthy cloth, and crying weakly. It was the source of what Embo was feeling, the source of the small bit of warmth that eluded the Kyuzo on a daily basis.

Quickly, he took down the ray shield, and ran inside, gently scooping the baby up in his arms. The child couldn't have been more than a month old, it was so small. After a quick check, Embo found that the baby was a boy… but he couldn't find any identification. There was nothing to indicate what his dead mother had named him, and there was no way to know.

His fire-gold hair was dirty, but his royal blue eyes looked up at the Kyuzo in curiosity. With a sickening lurch in his stomach, Embo realized that the child was most likely born in this cell, and since his mother hadn't received medical attention, she had died no less than two days ago from infection and any complications during birth.

Kneeling next to the woman's body, the Kyuzo whispered, "Your child will be safe, Brave Young Mother… your sacrifice will not be in vain… I… I promise, I will put him in a home where he will grow up strong…"

The Jedi Temple… that was where this child belonged. Born into darkness and suffering, he will get the second chance Embo never had. He would be where he was supposed to be.

But he needed a name.

Embo, despite living with a Zabrak most of the time, wasn't that familiar with male Zabrak names, so he did the next best thing.

He would give him a name in Kyuzoni.

"You are getting the chance I never got, little one," the Kyuzo whispered to the baby, "leaving the oppressive darkness to live in the light of hope. So, I shall name you Kai'kuno, Hope's Light. May the spirits of your ancestors watch over you throughout your life, and help your spirit stay strong…"

* * *

 _ **An Hour Later…**_

Embo sat on a bench in the _New Light_ , Commander Anko's ship, cradling little Kai'kuno in his arms. The poor child's mother had been the daughter of an Iridonian chieftain, something that they discovered after running a DNA test on her. When they contacted the chieftain, and explained how Embo found his daughter and grandson, he had been enraged at how his daughter had been treated, and requested that her body be transported to Iridonia for a funeral.

They agreed to it, but when Embo said that he had given the baby a Kyuzo name, since he had no way of knowing what the mother had named him, the chieftain had been surprisingly accepting of it.

Now, Tanoka was transporting the liberated prisoners, deceased, and the Bounty Hunters to Master Plo-Koon's fleet, where they had left Embo and Sugi's ships, _Guillotine_ and _Halo_.

"Embo, you ok?" The Kyuzo looked up, and saw Sihmi standing in front of him.

"Fine," he answered, still wearing his translator. However, Sihmi knew better.

"No, you're not. You saw some terrible stuff down there, Embo," she said, sitting down next to him. She saw him look at her out of the corner of his eyes, and she sighed. "Listen, I've seen some pretty awful stuff too, but what you saw… stuff like that shouldn't exist, but it does. It's a terrible truth, but it's a true fact of war."

"It's a disgrace…" Embo muttered, and Sihmi felt a flash of sympathy for the man.

"I know… the best we can do in a situation like this is to lay the dead to rest at last, and do our best for the survivors," she said, voice understanding. She had grown to trust her new teammates; they had proven themselves to be honorable individuals, and wouldn't backstab her.

"Embo, Sihmi," Sugi said, coming over, "The Commander has given us our payment, and we're about to dock in the Republic flagship. We're free to go once we dock."

"I'm going to catch up with you in a few days," Embo said, standing up, child still held tenderly in his arms. "I have something I need to do before I go back to the apartment."

"I understand, Embo," Sugi said gently, smiling. "I'll meet you there. What will _you_ be doing, Sihmi?"

"I… honestly don't know," the Duros admitted, smiling uncertainly at the Zabrak. "Maybe I'll see if there's a reasonable ship to buy wherever you two are going…"

"I'm going straight to the apartment we live in on Coruscant," Sugi said, considering, "so maybe you can go with Embo."

"I'm fine with that," the Kyuzo said, just as the clone from the briefing room came over to them.

"We've landed in the docking bay; you're good to go," he said, and the Bounty Hunters nodded.

It was time to leave.

* * *

 _ **Well… that happened. Went on longer than I expected, and took a more morbid turn than I originally had in mind…**_

 _ **Anyway, that was chapter two! Hope you all enjoyed!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	3. Where He Cannot Follow

_**Well, last chapter was pretty upsetting, wasn't it? And I bet you guys are wondering when the heck Cad Bane will come in, since he's in the character list, huh?**_

 _ **Well, this chapter will be a bit sweeter, and Cad MIGHT come in…**_

 _ **Anyway, the author does not own Star Wars, only the plot and OCs.**_

* * *

" _To risk life to save a smile on a face of a woman or a child is the secret of chivalry."_

― _Dejan Stojanovic_

" _Don't ask yourself at the end of the day if you did everything right._

 _Ask yourself how well you loved and then grow from your answer._

 _Repeat for a lifetime."_

― _L.R. Knost_

* * *

Embo landed the _Guillotine_ on a platform near the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, while Sihmi was entertaining little baby Kai'kuno. Embo actually found himself reluctant to let the child go, since he was so small and innocent. However, no matter what his heart told him, it also accepted the fact that the child _belonged_ at the Temple. It was the only place where the child would be safe.

"We're here," Embo said, getting up. He had left the translator on, since Sihmi didn't know or understand Kyuzoni. The Duros looked up at him, smiling.

"Thanks for the ride," she said, standing. She held Kai'kuno in her arms, and allowed the Kyuzo to take him.

"There's a place to buy small starships near here; if you don't find one that'll work, just let me know. I don't think the others will mind it if you stay with us for a while."

"Thanks, Embo," Sihmi said, shouldering her tattered pack. When the two of them walked out, they went in opposite directions; one towards the Temple and the other towards a ship sale.

When Embo came closer to the Jedi Temple, he could feel the warmth inside of him, which started with the child, grow stronger, continuing to grow the closer he got. It was a wonderful feeling, but he knew it wouldn't last.

It never did.

There weren't any Jedi outside at the moment; they were probably doing meditation or something. So, since he couldn't do it the easy way, Embo went right up to the gigantic doors, walking up the stone stairs, and looked down at the child.

Kai'kuno was looking around curiously, wonder in his royal blue eyes. The Kyuzo felt tears prick at his eyes, wishing he could get a second chance as well.

Alas, it was not to be.

Before he laid the child down on the Temple's doorstep, Embo removed the red, gold-embroidered piece of fabric that he always wore on the right side of his long fighting skirt, and wrapped it around the child, over the fluffy blanket he already had. Then, the Kyuzo knocked loudly on the huge doors, and knelt down to speak to the baby one last time.

"I doubt that you will be able to remember me, Kai'kuno, but it is my wish that you grow stronger each day, and obey the Jedi as you would have obeyed your mother…" the Kyuzo placed a note on the bundle, then gently brushed his thumb over the baby's cheek. "Goodbye, little one… may the spirits of your ancestors guide you…"

Hearing faint footsteps approaching from the other side of the doors, Embo leaped down the steps, and his himself behind some large bushes, waiting to see what would happen.

As he watched, a Jedi, a blue Twi'lek woman, came out, and saw the child outside...

* * *

Aayla Secura was just walking towards the library, when she heard what sounded like someone knocking on the large entrance doors. She made her way over, but when she opened the doors to look outside, nobody was there.

Then, she heard something, and looked down, only to see a little baby on the doorstep, wrapped in a blanket and a red cloth with gold embroidery, and a note tucked into a fold in the cloth!

"Oh! You poor thing!" She exclaimed, picking up the child. She then opened the note.

' _Jedi, I know that this must come as a shock, but this child has nowhere else to go. I found him while working a job for your Republic; his mother was dead, and he has the Force. Because there was no indication of what his mother named him, I have given him the name Kai'kuno. I wish for him to keep the red cloth I have wrapped him in; it is something that I wanted to give him to have a solid reminder of how he came to the Jedi. Please take care of him. ~ E_ '

Aayla looked around, hoping to see the person whom had left the child there.

Seeing no one, she looked at Kai'kuno again. He was a Zabrak child, but the name didn't sound like a Zabrak name. She would have to do some research; perhaps the name had a specific meaning in whatever language it came from...

* * *

Embo watched the Jedi carry little Kai'kuno into the Temple, a few bittersweet tears escaping to trail down his face, as his heart felt like it was breaking. He was glad to see that the child would be taken good care of, but it had been so very hard to let him go.

"I'll miss you, little one…" he whispered, watching the doors close. After a few more minutes, he slowly walked away, fighting back more tears. The warmth from the Temple faded with every step he took, making his heart break even more. It was painful, knowing that he would never get a second chance to be who he was supposed to be.

When he finally reached his ship, he saw Sihmi waiting for him, looking dejected. Obviously, she hadn't found a ship worth buying.

"Embo, you ok?" She asked, but he went into his ship without a word. Sihmi went in as well, and they were soon in the air.

A short, silent flight later, they arrived at another landing platform, one where the _Halo_ and another ship were already parked. Sugi was waiting for them with a speeder, but looked worried when she saw Embo.

"Come on, let's get back to the apartment," the Zabrak said gently, as Embo unfastened his translator collar from around his neck, sitting in the front passenger side seat. Sihmi sat in the back, while Sugi took the wheel...

* * *

By the time they came to an apartment building, Embo still hadn't said a word, and it worried Sugi. Even though her partner was a man of few words most of the time, he rarely didn't say something to her in greeting… not to mention that she could see tears staining his cheeks. There weren't many tears, but she knew how he hated it when his emotions showed like that.

Since he hadn't bothered to wipe the tears away, that meant he was really upset.

As they got out, Sugi quickly grabbed Embo's right forearm before he could disappear into his room. He looked at her questioningly, his eyes betraying his torrent of emotion.

"Embo, what's wrong?" Sugi asked gently, and the Kyuzo looked away, not speaking. They walked to the apartment they shared with their third teammate, Sihmi following them, and unlocked the door. "Sihmi, go ahead and see what you want from the fridge."

"Thanks," Sihmi replied, looking around. Meanwhile, Sugi went with Embo to his room.

Once the door was closed, the Zabrak turned around, only to see her partner curled up on his bed, a familiar white anooba licking his face. Embo's shoulders were trembling, his arms wrapped around himself, and his eyes were shut tight.

Now even more worried, Sugi went over to him, sitting down next to him, and gently putting a hand on his left shoulder. "Embo, what's wrong? Please, you can talk to me…"

At first, the Kyuzo didn't speak, trying to get ahold of himself, but then, in a shaky voice, he said, " **d-did I do th-the right thing?** "

So that's what's bothering him… he was missing the little child he rescued, and was concerned about his well-being.

"Embo…" Sugi said soothingly, wrapping her arms around Embo to try and comfort him, "You gave Kai'kuno a place where he will be safe and learn to keep others safe as well…"

" **But he won't remember what I did…** " the Kyuzo said, sounding heartbroken. Sugi felt a tear run down her cheek, and she held him a little tighter.

"Embo… of course he'll remember you… he may forget what you look like, but he'll always remember the sound of your voice, as well as how you took care of him, though it was only for a few days…" she assured him, rubbing his shoulder soothingly, "And he'll remember your scent, as all babies do, as well as your love… you will be a part of his life forever, Embo…"

* * *

 _ **Ok… I got a little off-track on a tangent there, sorry. It's like I start writing what Embo is feeling, and I don't want to write anything else! Anyway, I didn't get to where Cad comes in, sorry! However, if you want me to write a story in the future where Embo meets Kai'kuno again, let me know!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


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